One of my goals for my ski season this year is to stick to a solid cross-training schedule, in the hope that I can keep my leg muscles in good enough shape that I won’t run into the knee problems that cut my season short last year.

So, I’m accepting invitations from anyone who asks me to join them for a workout. One of the other “karate moms” at the Bobby Lawrence Karate Studio where my kids do their own “cross training,” invited me to a circuit training class at the Basin Recreation Fieldhouse at Newpark.

Who should be teaching the class, but Tina Dempsey, a Deer Valley employee who you’ll find at the ticket window in Snow Park a few days a week. And just my luck, she’s really good at what she does—from learning the names of her students, to making sure our form is correct, to, yes, completely exhausting every muscle in our bodies. She’s positive, upbeat and motivating—and I just had to ask how she likes her Deer Valley…

Favorite kind of DV Day: “Bluebird. Sun. Fresh Pow. And temps in the double digits, please.”

Favorite lunch: “Tuna Tartare at Royal Street Café.”

(It turns out, Tina worked at RSC as a bartender last year, so she likely mixed a few cocktails for me, like the St. Germain cocktail or the bluberry mojito. MMMM.)

Favorite cocktail at RSC: “Margarita. But I can’t drink it an keep skiing, so it’s really an après ski drink for me.”

Favorite ski buddies: “My girlfriends during the week. My husband on the weekend.”

So, say hi to Tina at the ticket window—and, better yet, drop by her class!